Writing your web content

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Writing for the web is not the same as writing for a print, in the same way that web design is different to page design. There are a number of important differences to remember and issues to bear in mind.

Think about the medium

The web does not offer a standard reading experience, it has unique features, including:

• Navigation - readers are expected to jump about on pages and across sites
• Fluid Medium - can be updated, expanded or deleted quickly
• Links - within a page, and to other pages and websites
• Interaction - readers can do things in real time, such as sign a petition or complete a form, or watch a movie trailer
• Distractions - banner ads, pop ups and animations
• Harder to read - people read web pages 25% slower than printed documents
• More practical - readers want answers as fast as possible

Write for users and browsers

The principles of writing for the web are based on what we know about the way users read on the web:

• Users read web pages 25% slower than written documents.
• Users scan or skim pages. They don't read word for word.
• When scanning, users pick out headings and links from the page.
• Reading on the web is tiring - white space makes pages easier on people's eyes.
• You cannot force users to read information in a particular order, so you cannot assume that people will read what's at the top of the page before they read what's at the bottom.
• People don't have time to hunt for information on a site or page. They will give up rather than spend hours looking, so you need to make things easy to find.
• People are immune to 'hard sell' promotional language, they just want facts or instructions.

Always remember who is going to use your site and try to write in a way that they will understand and find interesting.

Whoever your audience is, always make sure you use plain English that you are sure they will understand and put the points that will be most important to them first.

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